All Creatures Great And Small Christmas Special

[JaneJeffer]

Can't find the tv series thread so hopefully everyone will find this.

Lovely viewing. Good period details, especially the green Santa outfit!
Wouldn't it have been easier to invite Mrs Pomphrey round to Skeldale House? Mrs Hall had it all set up.

I went a bit wibbly when Mrs Hall saw the plane flying over then turned and looked at James and Tristan; she knows exactly what war will mean for the men.

Interestingly, apart from his initial training, James Herriot wrote that he didn’t want to write about his war experience.

Ah thank you JaneJeffer I didn't know that, I will look.

Some friends of mine, live in that area, and knew the real JH. And also know his son. They said that mrs Pumphrey was based on a real person. They also think that this series has Seigfried spot on. Personally I hate it so don't watch it!

I adored the books as a child and I am so loving the series. It makes me feel so nostalgic for a simpler life even though I know it was pretty tough in the farming community.

@LyndaSnellsSniff

I went a bit wibbly when Mrs Hall saw the plane flying over then turned and looked at James and Tristan; she knows exactly what war will mean for the men.

Interestingly, apart from his initial training, James Herriot wrote that he didn’t want to write about his war experience.

I thought he was medically discharged shortly after his training?

LyndaSnellsSniff
I went a bit wibbly when Mrs Hall saw the plane flying over then turned and looked at James and Tristan; she knows exactly what war will mean for the men.

Interestingly, apart from his initial training, James Herriot wrote that he didn’t want to write about his war experience.

I thought he was medically discharged shortly after his training?

I’m sure I remember reading in one of the books about him not wanting to dwell on the war in his writings. Maybe I’m misremembering.

Mrs Pumphrey was indeed a real person and took real joy from her portrayal in the books.

Wonderful programme. Sam West and Patricia Hodge actually playing the piano duet. Bloody brilliant.

@RainbowConnection1

Mrs Pumphrey was indeed a real person and took real joy from her portrayal in the books.

I think most, if not all, of the characters were real people. I remember reading his biography that he wrote about a pub landlord who kept pigs and the "real" pub landlord who kept pigs once mentioned to the "real" Herriot that it was a coincidence he had another client who was a landlord who kept pigs - clearly didn't twig it was the same person!!

@LyndaSnellsSniff

I went a bit wibbly when Mrs Hall saw the plane flying over then turned and looked at James and Tristan; she knows exactly what war will mean for the men.

Interestingly, apart from his initial training, James Herriot wrote that he didn’t want to write about his war experience.

I bought the box set of books in 2020. Haven't read them all but I have read up to and including his time in the RAF. He qualified as a pilot but then needed surgery for some undisclosed issue. Afterwards I think he was invalided out

Anyone else annoyed that the sheep that was supposedly lambing in December? I know it can happen but as far as I know it’s fairly rare?

Also Wight was invalided out after needing a surgery on an anal fistula I believe, part of a book concentrates on the difficulty the RAF had in getting him discharged because he was a reserved profession but had voluntarily signed up

LyndaSnellsSniff

I went a bit wibbly when Mrs Hall saw the plane flying over then turned and looked at James and Tristan; she knows exactly what war will mean for the men

Interestingly, apart from his initial training, James Herriot wrote that he didn’t want to write about his war experience

I bought the box set of books in 2020. Haven't read them all but I have read up to and including his time in the RAF. He qualified as a pilot but then needed surgery for some undisclosed issue. Afterwards I think he was invalided out

I could swear I read in one of his books that he didn't want to dwell on the war. I've read all of them and now for the life of me, can't find this bit. I know he wrote about his training and being invalided out but I'm sure there's a book that says something along the lines of "I don't want to spend time dwelling on what happened during the war,". Perhaps not necessarily to him personally but in general. If I ever find it, I'll post it here!

News season starts Thursday.

I can't wait. I saw some of the wedding photos. Helen looks gorgeous.

Ahh bliss

Such a gorgeous couple.

Tony Pitts seems to have lost a lot of weight.

I love this show!!

It seemed a bit odd that there wasn't a few friends or more relations at the wedding?

That was my only niggle, loved everything else.

My favourite bit was Helen's dad described her as 'middling' such a Yorkshire way to describe a bride 😂

Yes. My DF on my wedding day described me as "fair to middlin"

It seemed a bit odd that there wasn't a few friends or more relations at the wedding?
I think Covid restrictions might still have been in place when they filmed it?

Were his parents as anti social in the books?

It would perhaps be quite a journey to make & time off work?

His parents were there.

Yeah I wondered about covid, it seems totally unrealistic that neither James or Helen would have no close friends or family other than the immediate people they live with!!

I thought that when Helen was getting ready as well, did she have no other relations, Aunts, cousins, school friends to help her?

Maybe they just didn't want to pay for any extras 😂

I think they can explain it away by having men leaving for war, etc. but it's a shame. Even Mrs. Pumphrey was missing.